How To Have An (Environmentally!) Responsible Raisin
Raisin Weekend is one of the many weird and wonderful traditions that makes St Andrews such a unique and special place to study – not only that, but it’s also loads of fun!
In celebration of the event, and in light of the fact that all Raisin receipts require disposal after they are no longer needed, we’ve developed the following guidelines for constructing environmentally friendly and safe Raisin receipts and costumes to keep Raisin a truly sustainable tradition.
As a thank you for following these guidelines we will be giving away a meal for the entire family at the Doll’s House Restaurant for the most environmentally friendly and creative Raisin receipt and costume. Join the Facebook event here!
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How do I enter the competition?
Post a picture of your academic family with your receipt & costume on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/EnvironmentStA, or via email at [email protected]. Include a brief description of how it was made and why it is environmentally friendly. We look forward to seeing your creative ideas!
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How do I design a “green” Raisin costume/receipt?
Use your imagination! The best materials are things that can be recycled e.g. cardboard, wood, plastics, and fabric. Ask around the shops in town to see if they have any cardboard boxes you could use for your costumes/receipts, or have a look in the local charity shops for clothes and accessories for your costumes. Pinterest is a great source of inspiration!
Last year’s competition winners with their family of biscuits made from cardboard!
Academic children dressed as the Von Trapp family, with outfits made from an old bed sheet!
The Mystery Machine! An example of a good raisin receipt – creative, fun, easily recyclable, and folds up flat so it doesn’t take up much room in the cardboard skip.
Remember, the tradition is based on raisins, which are not big! Keep your receipts to a reasonable size in order to reduce the amount of items taking up space in landfill.
Click here for the full list of our Green Raisin Guidelines.
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Additional advice
– October in Scotland can be very cold and wet – please make sure you dress your academic children appropriately!
– Raisin parties often result in a large amount of glass bottles…make sure to recycle these bottles at your nearest glass recycling point.
– Please be aware that due to logistical reasons, you will be required to remove parts of your costume that are not integral before you enter the quad so anything that you are carrying (apart from your shaving foam) including, but not limited to, cardboard, hats, props, and very bulky or pointy items will be removed and recycled. Therefore, please be aware that Estates are unable to keep or return items.
– If you arrive with a receipt that the University cannot dispose of (e.g. electrical goods, livestock, foam filled furniture, or excessively large items) we’re afraid you’ll be turned away at the Quad, miss the foam fight, and will be charged for the cost of disposal of the item.
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That’s the serious stuff out the way – just stick to the rules and you’ll be guaranteed to have a great time! Have fun, look after yourselves (and each other), and don’t forget to submit your photos after the big day – we’ll be accepting entries until 27th October.
P.S. If you’ve ever wondered what happens behind the scenes at the foam fight then click here to find out!